The farm that Paolo Fasolo established in 1972 in the Colli Euganei Natural Park near Padua sat largely dormant until his grandson Alberto Buratti decided to do something with it. Alberto had studied art history and worked in Milan's art market before returning to the volcanic hills of the Veneto in 2019. The winery he has built under the name Faedesfa has brought the estate's ancient vines back to productive life and introduced some of the rarest indigenous varieties of the Euganean Hills to a new audience.
Backstory
Paolo Fasolo founded Azienda Agricola Fasolo Paolo in 1972 in Rovolon, a village on the north slope of the Euganean Hills. The farm's oldest vines date to the early postwar period and include varieties that have largely disappeared from the wider Veneto. Alberto Buratti, influenced by his uncle Marco's low-intervention approach, took over in 2019, began farming organically, and produced his debut vintage under the Faedesfa name in 2020. The label is a contraction of the farm's local dialect name.
The Region
The Colli Euganei is a compact volcanic massif rising from the Po plain south of Padua, protected as a Regional Natural Park. The hills' volcanic and sedimentary soils are unusually complex, composed of alternating layers of white and red marl with volcanic origins. The north-facing aspect of the Fasolo parcels preserves natural acidity and delays ripening, qualities Alberto has deliberately cultivated by choosing freshness over power.
Vineyards & Farming
The estate covers 4.5 hectares, of which 3.2 are planted to vines; olive trees and woodland make up the remainder. Vine age ranges from 15 to 80 years. The variety list spans Glera (including the ancient Serprina clone), Corbinello, Moscato Giallo, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc. The estate has been certified organic since 2019. Farming involves low doses of copper and sulfur only, with macerated or fermented plant preparations rather than synthetic products.
Winemaking
Since the 2020 vintage, all fermentations in the cellar are spontaneous, with no added yeasts. No sulfites are added at any stage. Wines are bottled unfiltered. Alberto experiments with re-fermentation in the bottle for Glera and Corbinello, carbonic maceration for certain reds, and skin contact for whites. The intention is to document what the Euganean Hills' volcanic soils and their antique varieties can express when left as unmediated as possible.
The Wines
The Glera Pet-Nat is a re-fermented sparkling wine from the Serprina clone of the variety, made without disgorgement. Glerone is a Pet-Nat with longer lees contact and greater depth. Corbinello, one of the Veneto's rarest indigenous reds, appears in a carbonic maceration style that emphasises its delicate berry character. Skin-contact whites and still reds round out the small portfolio. All carry the Faedesfa label alongside the estate's full name, Azienda Agricola Fasolo Paolo.
